Found a interesting and apparently rare FM signal generator

[repairmatt]

Found this unique signal generator, bought it from the Delphi Electronics liquidation auction of their test, R&D and prototype equipment. It's a RE Technology RE 125, very difficult to find anything on it. I did manage to find the owners and service manuals for it and specs are impressive. This one has most of the options installed including a audio generator, AM Stereo, FM stereo and a RDS/VRF generator.

Some of the specs for FM: <0.01% distortion at 1KHz, 75KHz deviation into mono and <0.02% in stereo, >65dB stereo separation at 1KHz and >90dB S/N ratio. The audio generator has less than 0.01% distortion between 20Hz-25KHz with output level ranging from 0 to 2.5Vpeak. Output levels for FM and AM can be displayed in dBm, dBf, dBu or uV, mV and V, the voltage resolution scales automatically depending on the set output level. One of the best things is that it has a built in sweep generator as well. I've only begun to explore what this thing is capable of.

Anyone had one of these before or know anything more about the company? It seems very well built and the specs seem to be equal or better than the Panasonic VP-8122A, which I also have.

Edit: Photo

[xrunner]

Never seen one in my life, nor on this forum. Can you open it up and post pics?

[mc172]

Interesting to see an RDS button and RDS menu options. It's even got a TA button which is presumably the Traffic Announcement flag. A very nice piece of kit by the looks of it, I'd like to own one!

edit: some info available here http://www.peel.dk/RE/index.html

[repairmatt]

Never seen one in my life, nor on this forum. Can you open it up and post pics?

Will do! May take me a couple days, I've had a lot of work lately.

Interesting to see an RDS button and RDS menu options. It's even got a TA button which is presumably the Traffic Announcement flag. A very nice piece of kit by the looks of it, I'd like to own one!

edit: some info available here http://www.peel.dk/RE/index.html

It is indeed a Traffic Announcement function. It is really impressive, I've never seen another signal gen quite like it with all the functions this has. The firmware it has dates it to 1993. Looking forward to getting a tuner on the bench and running this through its paces.

[mansaxel]

It is indeed a Traffic Announcement function. It is really impressive, I've never seen another signal gen quite like it with all the functions this has. The firmware it has dates it to 1993. Looking forward to getting a tuner on the bench and running this through its paces.

The RDS system is indeed a niche technology, especially on the generation side. I've got an ex-colleague who is (among other things) responsible for RDS encoding at a large radio station, where they generate ~30 different RDS streams. He's built decoders from USB TV receivers and Raspberry π computers, where he produces parseable data enabling automatic decoding and logging of RDS messages actually sent.

They have not only traffic announcement and music PTY but also are using RDS to send catastrophe alarms to people living close to nuclear power stations, using PTY 31.

[DeepLink]

Nice find

It is from the Danish company Radiometer Electronics
In Danish - https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiometer_(virksomhed)

I had a RE 101-05 once - very nice builds

You can find manuals (both Operating and Service) here
http://www.peel.dk/RE/index.html

A Danish guy, Peter Andersen, had collected manuals from Danish electronic companies over the years
Very nice collection

/Hans

[PA0PBZ]

This one has most of the options installed including a audio generator, AM Stereo, FM stereo and a RDS/VRF generator.

Is that a slip of the pen or a standard I never heard of?

[Andrew_Debbie]

AM stereo happened, at least in the US in the 1980s.   There are/were several systems.    It was a mess.


I think C-QUAM is still around in the US.     

[PA0PBZ]

AM stereo happened, at least in the US in the 1980s.   There are/were several systems.    It was a mess.

Yes, I vaguely remember reading about that, but as you say many standards and it would be surprising to find any of that in an EU generator I think.

[Neper]

AM stereo happened, at least in the US in the 1980s.

It happened in other places as well.

Radio France had a stereo AM transmitter in Paris until they switched off all their AM stations, a few years ago. There are still a few AM stereo stations in Italy, all using the US system.

I used to have a AM stereo decoder plugin for my Perseus SDR.

[TimFox]

I remember reading in the early 1970's that the Radiometer test equipment was considered to be the best units available for FM alignment and similar purposes.

[radiolistener]

You're happy, thats a cool signal generator.

Does it allows to connect external modulation signal?

[repairmatt]

Here some more photos of it.

Top removed. This thing has incredible shielding, it feels knocking on a steel safe, it is SOLID. The internal serial cables have full copper shielding as well.



The back, it does allow for external mod @radiolistener, and a whole lot of other stuff.



The top cover even has a dust filter for the internal fans



The build quality of this thing is amazing, and combined with all the functions it makes for a very impressive piece of equipment. There's one that's actually being sold right now, but it isn't the desktop model so no front output.

[radiolistener]

wow, it looks that it should have good quality output signal.
You can use it even as AM/FM transmitter for broadcasting with adding power amplifier

[xrunner]

Yea that thing is top-notch gear. Can you post any pics of the inside of at least one card/assembly unit? I'd like to see what quality they have.

 

[repairmatt]

Yea that thing is top-notch gear. Can you post any pics of the inside of at least one card/assembly unit? I'd like to what quality they have.

 

Will do, this week is busy so it will probably be the weekend before I can.

[SoundTech-LG]

Wow!  Nice!

Makes my ST1000a  look very primitive by comparison...

https://www.tzsupplies.com/sound-technology-st-1000a-fm-i3830165/